The Board has determined that a VA examination and opinion is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any residuals of frostbite of the feet, including Raynaud's syndrome. The Veteran maintains these conditions are related to his active service exposure to cold temperatures.
The deciding factor: A VA examination is required as the evidence indicates the existence of a current disability or persistent/ recurrent symptoms that may be associated with an in-service event (exposure to cold temperatures).
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite of the feet, Raynaud's syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19170667
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19170667.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date for service connection of Raynaud's syndrome associated with frostbite is denied. The Board found that the issue was not reasonably raised at the time of the December 1986 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's Raynaud's syndrome, which manifested during service and has been continuously pursued since then, is granted an initial disability evaluation of 40 percent effective January 24, 2016.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased evaluations due to the need for medical opinions regarding potential exposure to toxins during service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have Raynaud's syndrome or residuals of a cold weather injury to the extremities, and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.
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